The Word

1 Corinthians 16:14

Do everything in love.

Philippians 4:6, 7

Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

January 06, 2015

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Intentions for 2015

Today I read an article in the NY Times about resolutions. The author, Ruth Chang, suggests we stop making resolutions and start resolving to become the person we want to be. This fits very well with the Ten on Tuesday topic for today.

In 2015, I will work to become the person I want to be by...

Letting go of trying to be perfect: I don't intentionally try to be perfect because I know that's an unattainable goal, but in an effort to do the best job possible I spend a lot of time and effort getting things just right. I need that time for other things.

Spending more time with family: Last year I set the goal of having monthly dates with my husband and my daughter. That lasted for a while and I really enjoyed it.

Spending more time with my friends: I find myself feeling envious when I read Facebook posts where friends are getting together. As I've become busier, I've spent less time on relationships.

Spending more time with online friends: I do keep up with folks on Instagram and some on Twitter and Facebook, but I miss being in touch on blogs.

Taking more pictures: I think about taking pictures after something has ended. Like my family was here for Christmas/New Year's and I only have pictures of them right before they left.

Analyzing what gets in the way of being organized and fixing it: At church and at school I am told how organized I am. At home? Not so much. I want to find the things that get in the way of that. An example is our medical paperwork. I tend to save all that even when I don't need it. Do I really need the insurance statement that says they paid for another allergy shot? I don't think so. And it certainly doesn't need to pile up on the kitchen counter...

Continuing to knit for others and using my stash to do so: I do enjoy knitting for myself, but I enjoy knitting for others even more. I'm knitting for the people at Pine Ridge through the For the Children of Pine Ridge group on Ravelry. The people there lead hard lives and the suicide rate is three times higher than the average US rate. In fact, a couple of weeks ago a 7th grader from the school we're currently knitting for committed suicide.

Taking better care of myself: When I started teaching again in 2013, I didn't take the time to take care of myself. I put on more weight, didn't make doctor's appointments that I needed, etc. I started working on the appointments last year, but I still have more to go.

Improving my relationship with God: God is always there, but I'm not. My current Bible study book is called Discerning the Voice of God. It's reminding me to listen. Plus, I'd like to finish the chronological reading of the Bible that I started in December 2012. It was supposed to be a one year plan!

Spend less time volunteering: That sounds weird, doesn't it? When I took on the council president's role in 2013, I had to give some things up. I let go of a lot of the things I did with the contemporary band. But it all still takes too much time. I've been trying to do less with the council president role. Like I was trying to attend most church events - not anymore. I need to pare something else away to be able to have time for the other things on this list!

You've put together such a thoughtful and forward-thinking list! "Letting go of trying to be perfect" really resonates with me, and I can certainly relate. (As far as "less volunteering" -- I agree with Patty. Once I started saying "No" a little more often, I was much happier - and found I more time for my true priorities. You GO with the saying NO!) XO

It sounds like you have a very good idea of what is working and not working for you. I hope you can bring all of these ideas to fruition so that you can grow and be the person you want to be. I'm happy that you're blogging again!